Julian Assange praises Snowden

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange revealed that he has been in communication with National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, citing him as an example of those who support the release of classified media.

Assange called in to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Emma Alberici on Monday from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and the interview will air on ABC’s Lateline on Monday night.

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“We have had indirect communication with his people,” Assange revealed, referring to Snowden. When Alberici asked him to clarify, Assange declined to go into further detail.

Although Snowden did not release the NSA documents to WikiLeaks, Assange said that the former NSA contractor exemplifies what his organization tries to do. “This organization and people like it and our values are forming a new body politic and people like Edward Snowden are part of that phenomena,” Assange said, referring to WikiLeaks.

“We run the danger here of the West more broadly drifting into a state where there are two systems. There’s one law for the average person and there’s another law if you’re inside the national intelligence complex. You can intercept whoever you want, you’re complete unaccountable for your actions, there’s no judicial review,” Assange continued. “I don’t believe that Americans find that acceptable. Snowden clearly didn’t find that acceptable and he was even someone in the system.”